Mac's Layup Drill: Kidd's brilliance understated, undeniable

APJason Kidd is the NBA's No. 2 career assist man, and his mature leadership was a critical factor in the Dallas Mavericks winning the NBA title.

It was one of those typical generational arguments.

This one about the NBA playoffs, and just what Jason Kidd meant to the Dallas Mavericks and their run to the title. The younger guy began critiquing the 38-year-old point guard.

“Too slow,” he said.

“Can’t shoot,” he said.

Then he reeled off a half-dozen names of super-charged 20-something lead NBA guards.

“Kidd’s got nothing compared to them,” the young guy taunted.

“Nothing except the trophy,” the older guy responded.

“What’s so great about him?” was the next question.

“Jason Kidd plays every second of every possession all the time that he’s on the floor,” the older guy pointed out. “He finds a way to cut off the lane when he defends quicker opposing players, and on offense he moves the ball up the floor more efficiently than any guard in the league. Most importantly, when he is playing, the ball gets to the right guy.

“Ask Rick Carlisle what that meant this postseason when the old man was playing 35 minutes every single night.”

The older guy then pulled up a Carlisle quote about the second all-time assist leader in league history.

“Never underestimate greatness,” the Dallas head coach said of the player who might actually have been the Mavs’ postseason MVP.

“Case closed,” the old-timer said with a smile.

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I’m no NFL expert.

But I have to believe that any sports business that sells-out every game — and which has limited guarantees for players in their contracts — must be close to blindly greedy if it can’t find a way to cut a deal to keep the doors open and the money coming in.

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Next week, Roger Clemens goes on trial for lying to Congress and I think the entire exercise is an enormous waste of time and money.

I have very little sympathy for Clemens, who, I believe, put himself in this position.

He’s basically been caught cheating, had his reputation ruined, and, at the very least, has thrown a huge roadblock in front of what once was a direct path to the Hall of Fame.

But the fact is, if everyone who ever lied to Congress about something as insignificant (in a legal sense) as using performance-enhancing drugs was indicted by a federal grand jury, the U.S. would go broke in a month just handling the paperwork.

The bottom line is justice has already been done.

Clemens is paying his penalty right now in the court of public opinion, and in millions upon millions lost in endorsement fees.

Anything more is government overkill.

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If you’re keeping score, the Curtis HS football program has put four players in the NFL in the last 22 years.

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Derek Jeter comes back to work this week.

At least, that’s the way it looks.

But what if he simply isn’t Derek Jeter anymore?

Is that going to be too much for some Yankees fans to handle?

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The Robert McNamara Scholarship Fund, which benefits Island high schoolers, is hosting a golf outing at Silver Lake on July 11, shotgun tee-off at 10 a.m. There’s a BBQ afterward.